Vacation in the Dark
by Latham02
Summary: It has been over one year since Maria had completed her adventures in Rougeport, and now she's coming back for a Halloween visit. Join Maria and her friends as she experiences the Halloween traditions of Rougeport, the Petal Meadows, the Boggly Woods, and all the colorful locations of The Thousand Year Door. Humanized, Genderbent AU Inspired by Remyproductions on Deviant Art.
1. A Ghoul's Welcome

Ahem! Today I'm going to continue the story of The Thousand-Year Door. It's been over one year since our brave heroine Maria defeated the evil X-Nauts, rescued the prince, and saved the world from the clutches of the Shadow King and today she's heading back where it all started.

The sun set over Rougeport like a diamond in the rough; the buildings were crooked and bent, the streets piled with rubbish, and the sea bombarded people's noses with the power of a hundred pirate ships. People moved quickly to their houses as the night swept Rougeport, wary of the shadow's dangerous and greedy eyes. When Maria first came she made a silent vow to leave as soon as possible; and now her steamer couldn't seem to bring her quickly enough. For all of Rougeport's faults, many many faults, it was here she learned just how beautiful the world could be. The people of that poor city still had hope and strength in their hearts that lit up every dark corner within them no matter how small that hope was. And of course without Rougeport she never would have met all the wonderful people she now knew as her friends.

"Ah! I can see them waiting on the dock!" said Maria, excitedly looking through her telescope. Maria at the moment looked absolutely terrible; her skin was deathly green, her brown hair iron wool, and her red shirt and blue overalls covered in cuts and soaked with blood. People usually look like this leaving Rougeport, but today was special. Today was Halloween.

"That's nice" came a nervous reply. Lucy sat in her chair nearby, fidgeting anxiously as their ship began to pull into port. Her green shirt, hat, and overalls were perfectly fine, but her complexion was almost as green. Maria's sister Lucy has always been terrified of Halloween and the supernatural, and even seeing her zombie sister made her feel nervous. Let's just say the dead haven't always been kind to Lucy.

"Aw, lighten up!" Maria said as she put the telescope away and grabbed her bags. "Today is supposed to be a fun day, so enjoy yourself". "I think I'll be able to enjoy myself just fine from my hotel room, thank you very much". "If you say so".

"I think she has the right idea in this town" the captain warned behind the wheel of the ship. "We'll be arriving very shortly, so prepare to disembark".

* * *

The boat came to a swift halt, and Maria stepped off onto the golden grime of Rougeport.

A blond haired college boy dressed in brown shirt and pants with a matching fedora and a whip at his side was the first to greet her, promptly shaking her hand. "I've heard people say you never seem to die Maria, but this is just getting ridiculous". "Goombriel, it'll take much more than death to stop-" "The Great Genenza!"

Maria let out a surprised squeak as a pair of small arms wrapped around her torso and lifted her off the ground, practically crushing her rib cage in the process.

"I missed you so much Maria, and I'm so glad you're back" said the short green-haired girl, red cape flowing in the wind and her fake canines showing as she smiled as wide as she could. "Do you like my costume? Is it scary enough?" "The costume isn't what I find scary Kami" Maria barely whispered as she was suffocated by the world's youngest professional wrestler.

"Oh, sorry" Kami said, putting Maria down and allowing her to catch her breath. "Don't worry, I'm glad to see you too", Maria said after putting Kami in headlock and administering a playful noogie.

"Don't hog Maria all to yourself, we've all missed her just as much as you did". The voice appeared to come from a young and beautiful pink haired woman, and clothed in the lovely dress of Princes Zelda. Maria knew better however and playfully embraced the centuries old man. "It's not like we're in a rush Vixen. I'm on vacation for the whole week so we'll have plenty of time together".

"Not enough if you ask me my love". A suavely clothed man approached Maria, dressed in the finest opera clothes and a mask over half of his face, hiding his green eye and revealing his blue. He took one arm around Maria's waist, leaned in for the kiss and-

SMACK

His face was now appropriately flat as a pancake with Maria's frying pan filling his whole vision. "Prince Peach lent this to me; he said that it was great for situations just like this. I can see now he wasn't lying" Maria said with a smirk; she'd gotten used to Mr. Mowz's advances a long time ago. "I see absence does not always make the heart grow fonder" the gentleman thief said rubbing his sore face, "but I just had to give it one last shot".

"Heed my advice" said a blue haired man with a gold tie, an open blue shirt that showed off his abs, and small pair of devil horns on his head, "there are some things even you can't steal".

"I beg to differ" Mr. Mowz replied, crossing his arms in contempt.

"It's great to see you again Flur-", "Sir Flureon", "SIR Flureon" said Maria, rolling her eyes before hugging him as well.

Maria craned her neck up in order to see his face and asked "How's the weather up there?" "Oh tis very cloudy and windy but when you are an angel like me you get used to it" he replied.

Maia turned around after hearing a distressed moan, originating from a very muscular and tan older woman with white hair and wearing a bright red shirt bearing the insignia of the United Federation of Planets. Bobbera was rubbing her temples and said simply "I'm getting too old for this". Maria just smiled and said "You're never too old for fun" before embracing Bobbera as well.

Maria looked around at everyone and said "Everyone seems to be here now, but where is…" "Wait!" said a voice from the distance, followed closely by a running woman with a Band-Aid on her nose, long blond hair, and wearing a bright yellow sweater adorned with pink butterflies. "We've got to stop meeting like this Koopie" Maria said as she tossed the woman a water bottle from one of her bags.

Koopie readily thanked Maria and started drinking from the bottle. "I'm sorry I'm late, I've just been having one incredibly crazy week". "Shoot" responded Maria, "I don't think anything can surprise me anymore".

"Well, I uh kinda am a little tiny bit…engaged". Now it was Maria's turn to be gasping for air.

"Engaged? To Koop?" Koopie could only blush like a fire hydrant and nod her head fervently, trying very hard not to make eye contact. "That's wonderful news" cried Maria "and we're going to make sure you celebrate right!" Koopie only blushed harder as she became the center of one giant group hug.

"Can I be your maid of honor?" Vixen said behind her. "Oh, um…I've already got someone else in mind" replied Koopie replied with a nervous laugh.

Separating from the group, Maria announced their plans for the night. "Well then, it's off to the inn to begin the night. This Halloween we'll eat enough candy to fill a castle! Who's with me?" Everyone except her sister let out an enthusiastic cry and began heading to the local inn and bar, Kami chasing Lucy in circles the whole way there.

* * *

"What do you mean there isn't any trick-or-treating in Rougeport?" Maria yelled despondently at the beanish bartender while her bags were taken to her room.

Podley just rolled her eyes and said "I'm sorry, but the rules are the rules. The mayor decided that this town has enough insanely dressed freaks as it is without giving them an excuse to dress like that. No offence."

"And to fathom I got all dressed up for nothing" Sir Flureon said in his usual contempt. "I suppose we will just have to begin in Petalburg then".

"Not necessarily", Podley said still cleaning her many shot glasses. "While there is no Trick-or-Treating, The Pianta Palace is having a big Halloween themed party today, and Pianta Tokens only cost half as much if you're in costume".

"Sure, it's been a while since I've visited the Piantas as well" Maria said before looking at Kami and getting a concerned look on her face. "Wait. We can't go gambling; we've got a kid with us!"

"More like a baby" Goombriel added, inciting an unwanted tackle from the 'baby'.

"Have you guys forgotten?" Bobbera asked, "This is Rougeport we're talking about. They give out lottery tickets instead of toys in kid's meals here and I've been gambling before I could even read."

"Oh please let me go, please please please please pleeeeeeease!" Kami said bouncing up and down. Maria thought a moment and said "Okay you can come, but only if you promise to behave and act like an adult". Giving Maria another bone crushing hug Kami said "Don't worry, I will be the most mature costumer they've ever had".

"That's nice" came a whimpering reply. "Now please set me down". Kami finally let Maria breathe again before leaping onto the shoulders of Sir Flureon and shouting "Onwards!" Sir Flureon let out a friendly sigh and headed out the door with his friends right behind him.

"Goodnight Lucy" called Maria at the door "and don't let the bedbugs bite". Maria shut the door behind her, hearing a very frightened yelp just before it closed.


	2. A Sailor's Game

There was still a little over an hour of sunlight when they left the inn and they arrived at the casino very quickly. Opening the doors the group took in the spectacle in the large room before them; the Pianta Token dispensers had skulls painted all over them, the guards wore ski masks with their suits, the coconuts on the various palm trees were painted to look like jack-o-lanterns, the slot machines were painted bright red, every table had a spider web hanging off it, the lights were very dim, a mist covered the floor, and dozens of costumed patrons went about their business.

Approaching one of the guards by the entrance, Maria asked "Are you guys supposed to be bank robbers or something?" "What do you know punk?" the guard replied alarmed. "I mean yeah, sure we are".

By then two of the waiters noticed their new guests and went over to greet them. The two former models/twin brothers looked almost exactly alike; same green hair, same ghostly pale skin, and same short black skirt and cat ears on their heads that served as their only clothes. "Welcome to the Pianta Parlor" they said together. "It's great to see you again cutie" Peeka Boo said recognizing Maria. "It's always a pleasure to have a friend of the Doña visit the Parlor," said Lahla Boo. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to do? We can accommodate anything you want".

"I don't know, is there anything you guys want to do?" Maria asked her friends. Bobbera spoke up and said "There is nothing more exhilarating than a good game of Liar's Dice in my opinion; I say we start with that". Goombriel, Vixen, and Sir Flureon agreed, nodding their heads.

"Ugh" moaned Kami as she hopped down from Sir Flureon's back, "dice games? Do you think I am a total nerd? I want to do something else". Maria laughed and took Kami by the hand. "I can show my favorite vampire how to play roulette if you want, how about that?" "Mmhm!" Kami responded, excitedly bouncing on her feet and eliciting a giggle from their ghostly waiters.

"What about you Koopie? Mr. Mowz?" Koopie looked around the Pianta Palace and said "I'll just look around a little and maybe play the slots. Don't worry, I'll be fine". "And I" said Mr. Mowz as he headed to the crowds, "have much greater gambles to risk, and greater prizes to gain".

As everyone went their separate ways Maria was about to shake Lahla's hand as she left, but it simply passed straight through the man. "Sorry Maria. You can look, but you can't touch".

* * *

After grabbing a few plastic cups, some dice and their Pianta Tokens in the lobby Bobbera, Goombriel, Vixen and Sir Flureon were all taken by one of the guards to a private room upstairs. Liar's Dice wasn't one of their regular games so Goombriel convinced a guard to give them all special passes that gave them access there and sent them off to their friends if they wanted to play as well. They piled all their tokens on the middle of the table in their room and started playing the game; the last person standing won the whole pot.

"I should warn you all though, they didn't call me the 'Lovely Lady Liar of the Locker' for nothing. By the end of this game, none of you will have the shirts on your backs" Bobbera said confidently as she shook her four dice in her cup. "Not surprising" said Goombriel, "you're so old you probably invented this game. Don't worry though; I have a trick up my sleeve". They all then slammed their cups down on their table and began looking at each other intensely, trying to notice any flinch or alterations in their behavior.

Goombriel went first, announcing that there were two 4s on the table. Vixen went second saying six 4s, Bobbera with ten 4s, before finally reaching Sir Flureon who said there were sixteen 4s. "Liar!" Goombriel yelled, pointing his finger at Sir Flureon and taking out a calculator. "The chances of that happening are one out of ninety-six! I've got you now!"

Goombriel's anticipation quickly turned to terror as everyone lifted their cups to show exactly sixteen 4s. "Don't worry, I am certain I can spare one or two Piantas when I have won" said Sir Flureon. Goombriel grumbled and reluctantly tossed one of his dice into the Pianta pile.

It was Vixen's turn to start and claimed that there were at least five 5s. "Would a pretty face like this lie?" he said, eyes quickly averting from the table. It only took a few seconds of staring for beads of sweat to appear, and he nervously started toying with his dress. "Is it hot in here or just me?" he asked trying desperately to save face. "You're fire elemental Vixen; you don't get hot" replied Bobbera. "You look like you're ready to explode, and if you're not lying I'll eat my ship".

When they all lifted their cups Vixen didn't have a single 5 and the others had only four total. "I can't help it!" Vixen said sadly. "I was never able to get away with lying with Jaspert, so I get nervous!" Sir Flureon reached out a hand to his shoulder and said "Do not yet worry my fair princess; fore I may make a liar out of you yet. The key to the art of both fabrication and acting lies in the eyes of your soul and begetting a temperament that reflects what your soul sees." Vixen stared back with no idea what he just said. "Just pretend you're somewhere else when you lie and that we aren't here" Sir Flureon said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Okay, I'll try" Vixen replied.

With another die added to the pile the game began again. Soon three more dice joined the pile, two of them Vixen's. He tried all he could but could not keep a good poker face. He only had one die left and it was his turn to start; if he blew it he'd be eliminated from the game. "Come on Vixen" Bobbera said lying back in her chair and with her feet up on the table, "give us a number". Sir Flureon could hear his teeth chatter from the across the table, as he tried to figure out what to do. Then, out of nowhere, a calm set across his face and he smiled.

"Ten 1s" Vixen said like it was the obvious thing in the world.

Bobbera nearly fell out of her seat when she heard those words. "Ten ones?! That is insane! Preposterous! Completely and totally-", but before she could end the sentence Vixen subtly waved his hand under the table. "-right. That guess is spot-on" Bobbera finished with an almost dreamlike look on her face. Needless to say not a single one was on the table.

"You sneaky little witch! You used one of your spells on her didn't you?" Goombriel said annoyed to Vixen. "I'm just evening out the playing field Mr. Calculator. Asking me not to use my natural talents would be like asking Sir Flureon to avoid his acting skills, or Bobbera to forget all her experience" Vixen responded smugly.

Bobbera finally snapped out of her trance and threw a die into the pile. "I'm keeping an eye on you" Bobbera said. Vixen just stuck his tongue out at her and started rolling his dice again.

Another three rounds later and the score was 2 dice Bobbera, 2 dice Flureon, and one die each for Goombriel and Vixen. Vixen went first saying that there were three 3s on the table. "Oh really?" Goombriel said crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. "Of course; I'd never lie to you Goombriel" Vixen said with a smile and wink. "Yeah right. You don't have a three and neither does anyone else at this table. You're a liar". Bobbera agreed and called for the table to reveal their dice. As it turned out Vixen and Sir Flureon combined to have three ones. This cost Bobbera one of her dice and she said "That is the last time I'm taking advice from you little man". "Yeah, you've really got to trust me more" Vixen said as he put his hand on Goombriel's shoulder. "I've got a whip; don't make me use it" Goombriel immediately threatened.

In the end both Goombriel's math skills and Vixen's charms failed, leaving Sir Flureon facing down against the Queen of Dice: Bobbera. "So it comes down to this, eh?" Bobbera said taking out a cigarette and lighting it. "This really brings me back to my youth again. Back in the day I and my sisters used to play this out on the streets and on the docks". Goombriel coughed as the smoke went in his general direction. "I know the sentiment" replied Sir Flureon, "I and my family partook in chess when I was younger". Sir Flureon never one broke eye contact with Bobbera, staring at her like he was obsessed. "Chess, now there lays a real gentleman's game. It builds strategy, etiquette, and finesse". "But it does not teach you about life like dice does" Bobbera countered, lying back in her chair again. "Unlike chess, life is random, quick, and violent. You never know if you'll be here one minute or gone the next". She took in one large breath from the burning tobacco, and as she exhaled again Bobbera said "Lets finish this; we both know there can only be one queen so make your move knight". "One 2" Sir Flureon said with a voice and face as unexpressive as they could be. The cigarette continued to burn shorter in Bobbera's mouth, like a fuse on a cold and emotionless bomb. She didn't even flinch.

"Liar" Bobbera said, silence filling the room.

Sir Flureon let out a finally let out a smile and said "Mine treasure is yours. Well played your highness". He bowed his head as he pushed the mass of blue coins to Bobbera who immediately broke out in cheers.

"I won! I won! I won!" Her cigarette fell to the floor as she practically tackled an unsuspecting Vixen. "Come on boys! I have some well-earned prizes to collect down in the parlor. Drinks are on me!" They all left laughing together, happy to start off their night in such a fun way. Halfway down the stairs however they heard a scream back at the private rooms, and rushed to find out what was going on.


	3. Wheel of Fortune

"Why were those two guys dressed like that? They don't look like cats at all!" Kami said to the zombie plumber as they headed over to the nearest roulette table.

"You'll find out when you're older" Maria said as she tussled Kami's hair. "Why aren't I old enough now? I thought you said I was an adult tonight". "No" came the response from Maria, "I said you need to act like an adult. You are going to behave yourself, aren't you?" "Cross my heart and hope to die" said Kami standing up on her toes to try to make her look taller.

"Good, now let's get into a game". Coming out of the mists they each sat down at the Roulette table, a bored looking Boo waiter with short brown hair presiding over the roulette wheel. "Welcome to the Pianta Parlor Roulette Wheel where everyone is a winner and all that junk". After a moment he noticed Kami and said "Oh boy, another kid. Do you want me to get the booster seat?"

"Hey, I'll have you know I am an adult tonight and expect to be treated as one" Kami said sitting proudly and when a guard then arrived with their upstairs passes Kami only sat up taller. The waiter silently despaired, thinking to himself "It's going to be one of those nights isn't it?" Maria saw his expression and said "Don't mind her she just gets a bit over-enthusiastic from time to time". "Whatever, just place your bets and let's get this over with".

"Okay Kami, this is how it works. The man releases a ball into the spinning wheel, and we place a bet on what it will land on. If we're right we get double what we bet, and if we lose we don't get anything. The more unlikely the space we bet on the higher we have to risk for a higher reward. Do you understand?" "I think so Maria" replied a thinking Kami.

"You're such a good mother" the waiter droned sarcastically. Maria glared at him but said nothing and placed a bet of ten Piantas on black. The waiter punched Maria's bet into a computer attached the table, pressed a button, and released the marble. The marble rolled on the wheel for a minute before landing black ten. The victors collected their winnings and Maria showed Kami the ten Piantas they won. "Now it's your turn" said Maria.

"Uh, okay" Kami said before moving a hundred Piantas to red seven. "I don't think that is a very good idea" Maria chuckled nervously. "Seven's my lucky number so I can't lose!" When the ball landed on zero however the whole table including Kami let out a huge groan. "Man that was a rip off" Kami pouted to Maria.

Maria just laughed and told Kami not to be discouraged. "You aren't going to win every time you know. That would be very nice but most of it just depends on luck" Kami sat up in her chair and asked "How do I increase my luck? Does it involve cardiovascular or is it anaerobic exercise? Either way I'm going to be the best at it". "No" replied Maria as she placed another bet, "luck is not something you can just control, no matter what people with charms say. It's all about random chance and seemingly unrelated coincidences that come together to completely change what you expect to happen". "Then how do you know when you'll win?" asked Kami. "You don't, that's the thrill of it!" Maria answered excitedly before losing yet another bet.

This continued for a while, the two's combined pile steadily growing smaller and smaller. "I guess tonight just isn't our lucky night" Maria said with a long sigh. Kami never liked seeing her 'mother' in a bad mood but soon she found a way to try and change that; a pattern started emerging on the wheel.

"How about you let me take over the bets for a little while Maria? I think I've gotten in the spirit of it now" Kami said, gears silently turning in her head. "Sure", Maria said apathetically, "we can't get much lower than this". Much to Maria's surprise however, Kami began a rather long winning streak. Every single round, no matter what the bet, Kami raked in more Piantas, always choosing to place her bet last and making sure to rub her tokens in their waiter's face with every victory. "I don't know what you're doing Kami" Maria whispered in her ear as the waiter clearly lost his patience, "but I don't think it's a very good idea". Kami just turned and asked Maria "Who ever said winning was a bad idea?"

"I think it's time we headed in" Maria said while gathering all her winnings and laughing nervously. "No, I've got a better idea" said the waiter. "You seem to have a rather…unnatural amount of luck. Why don't you head to the 'VIP' room downstairs?" Maria continued stuffing the Piantas messily into her pockets and said "Oh that's just fine, I think it's time we headed in for the night". She was about to head for the lobby when two guards stepped in her way. "I insist" continued the waiter, "it's to die for".

The women "escorted" Maria and Kami to the staircase and Maria spotted Koopie heading upstairs before being shoved into the basement. In the center of the VIP room stood a giant class encased roulette wheel with a full seventy numbers on it surrounded by obviously affluent customers. "Minimum bets are one thousand Piantas. Enjoy your stay" one of the guards said before leaving them.

Maria stood there somewhere between scared and angry but Kami couldn't have been happier. "Hooray! They've got drinks with little umbrellas in them. And they're free!" Kami said as she grabbed one from a passing waiter. Sighing, Maria took the drink from her and downed it quickly. "Kami, sometimes I wonder if you're brilliant or just crazy. How did you do all that?" said Maria.

"You didn't actually expect a mob casino to play fair did you?" asked Kami. "The house always makes sure to win the most with each spin so the trick is to just go with a number that would guarantee. Why do you think they have computers rigged to them?"

Maria considered this for a moment and said "That's actually pretty clever. Unfortunately, The Syndicate doesn't like people discovering their tricks so now we have two choices; we either lose all our Piantas on bets here, since there is no way even you can predict where it will go, or go back upstairs and risk our throats!" Kami quickly lost her smile and looked down at her feet. "I'm sorry Maria" said Kami, "I just wanted to cheer you up".

Maria's stance softened and she said "It's okay. You didn't know any better and you know I can't stay mad at you". The cloud over Kami's head just wouldn't go away however, despite Maria's kind words. "I'll tell you what" Maria said putting a hand on her shoulder, "we get this over with right now, just throw it all away on one bet, and we go get some sodas Podley's Place right after they let us go; just the two of us. What do you think?" "Hmm" hummed a contemplating Kami. "I'd rather go for a relaxing jog; I can't afford to lose my title because I got out of shape can I?" Maria just started laughing in response. "Imagine that" she thought to herself, "a kid on Halloween refusing sweets".

"Sure Kami" said Maria, "and this time we're going to bet on my lucky number". They went up to one of the waiters, told him their bet that he then wrote down, and went over to the giant roulette wheel to await the outcome. "It is a shame that we aren't leaving with anything" Kami said to Maria. Maria shrugged her shoulders and said "It doesn't matter Kami, as long as we have eacho-"

"Red 64!" called a waiter, announcing the winning number. Both of the friends' jaws hit the flow at once as a whole cartful of Piantas was wheeled over them. "Of course" Maria said while regaining her composure, "it never hurts to be a bit lucky every once in a while". By now the guards from upstairs returned but this time to send them home. "We'll go bankrupt if you keep this up" said one of the guards trying to keep a low profile, "just take your prizes and leave or you'll be buried with your treasure". Kami picked up the cart with one hand and said "So long suckers!" as she left, Maria following closely behind with another nervous laugh as she passed the deadly duo.

Over at the prize counter Kami was busily picking out whatever looked shiny and fun to play with. "I want that one, and that one, and that one, and don't forget that one" she said to the distressed clerks trying to keep up. "What am I going to do with you?" Maria said to no one in particular, leaning against a nearby wall and marveling over Kami's youthful energy. "Maria is that you?" she suddenly heard someone say behind her.

She turned around and recognized the man immediately. "Koop, it's great to see you again" said Maria. She walked up to her friend's fiancé and shook his hand and returned his friendly smile. "Same here" he replied, "but I'm here to find Koopie. She forgot her weapon at home and I didn't want her to be in a town like this unarmed. Do you know where she is?" Maria thought a moment and remembered she saw Koopie going upstairs to the private rooms and told Koop. "Here, you can have my pass for upstairs. Just ask where the woman with the yellow sweater went, they should be able to guide you" said Maria. "Thank you, I'll be out of your hair in just a moment" Koop said before heading to the staircase.

After tossing a few Piantas to a waiter and grabbing some fresh juice, Maria returned to supporting the wall. With still a few slivers of sunlight visible from some small windows above the exit, Maria decided that the night had gotten off to a great start. That was until a minute later when a shrill scream broke through the bedlam of the casino from directly above her. Most patrons assumed it was just part of the music, added to give increase the Halloween atmosphere. Maria knew that scream though and knew immediately something was wrong.


	4. Mouse Burglar

It was no small piece of irony that someone with as big an ego as Mr. Mowz could blend in so well with a crowd. He slipped between groups, passed politely by staff, and acted humbly to the guards. To everyone who knew Mr. Mowz personally this feat would have sounded impossible, but to him it was quite easy. He knew the time for glory would come soon enough.

Eventually he found exactly what he was looking for; the hallway connecting the Pianta Palace to the syndicate's headquarters. The guards by the door weren't a concern as he could think of a thousand different ways he could disguise or trick his way past them if not just knock them out, but the door itself would prove to be a stronger challenge. It was not only reinforced steel but it was locked by a keycard system which his lock pic sadly wouldn't be able to open. "Unless I want to end up as twisted as an origami sculpture, I better find a way to open that door silently" Mr. Mowz thought to himself.

An employee break room lay on the other side of the casino and Mr. Mowz decided he'd start key-hunting there. Quietly slipping in like a phantom while he was certain no one was looking and no one was inside, Mr Mowz began sleuthing through various bags and tables. "Let's see what we've got here; some coins, a few bottles of cologne, schedules, what appears to be five gallons of coffee ready for use…but no card!" Mr. Mowz whispered to himself as he tried to move as swiftly as possible.

"That just leaves the locker rooms". Mr Mowz shuttered and braced himself as he looked through the keyhole in the connecting door to confirm its vacancy. He was in luck though and immediately went inside and picked one of the locker's locks open. "Cat ears, bunny ears, dog ears, horns, empty wallet, skirts, jeans, ironic t-shirt, 'HP-Plus' badge, and a keycard! Yes!" Mr. Mowz sadly shouted those last words, just in time for him to hear the employee break room door open.

"Hello? Is anyone in here?" asked one of the Boo waiters with green hair as he entered the locker room. By now Mr. Mowz had stuffed himself in the locker he opened and was trying not to pass out from the uncivilized smells. "I could have sworn…" mumbled the distressed waiter. From the stain running down the front of the Boo's skirt Mr. Mowz deduced that he must have spilled a drink: bad luck for the both of them.

The Boo got changed quickly but to Mr. Mowz's dismay he stayed to smoke a cigarette. He didn't look like he was having a very good day and was very tired but that wasn't our thief's problem; he wasn't going to spend all night in a space the size of a shoebox and a good thief comes prepared for all situations

"Peeka" said the voice of Lahla outside. "There is a costumer just wandering around the floor without playing a game. I'm busy, so see if you can change that okay?" Peeka sighed and mumbled "I can't get a moment's rest can I?" "I'll be right there" Peeka shouted back and stood up to search for the trouble maker. Mr. Mowz fell from his hiding place gasping for air a few seconds later but still considered himself lucky; if he had guessed it was Lahla Boo sitting there things would have ended differently.

Grabbing the tray Peeka left behind and placing a cup of coffee from the break room on it he headed to the Doña's headquarters. "Halt" ordered one of the guards "who the heck are you?" Mr. Mowz smiled and said "I'll have you cretonnes know that I am the Doña's personal waiter and right now she is expecting her Teeheespresso to be delivered punctually." "Oh really? Then why aren't you dressed up like the other waiters, Phantom Menace?" asked the other guard. "So customers don't hassle me when I'm getting the Doña her coffee". "Why haven't we seen you before?" asked the first guard. "This coffee is very rare you know; I've been finding it for her for six months!" responded Mr. Mowz while throwing his free hand up dramatically. The two guards looked at each other and thought for a moment. "Well…" one of them began but Mr. Mowz wouldn't have it.

"Enough!" he shouted, catching them both off guard. "Don't you know what will happen to us if you delay me a moment longer? She'll rip out our guts and feed them to the nibbles! Our hearts will be fertilizer for her trees! Our eyes will adorn her jewelry! We'll just be the skeletons used for Halloween by the time she's done with us". Without another word he slipped his keycard through the reader on the door and walked past without any resistance.

"This mansion probably cost more than most people here make in their whole lives" thought Mr. Mowz as he walked through the luxurious hidden building, eventually finding his way upstairs to the Doña's room. Approaching the door he heard crying however and looked through the keyhole to find out where it was coming from.

"It just isn't fair" whined Francesco to his wife Frannie, (co)Doña of the Pianta syndicate. "But Pineapple" replied Frannie, "I'm afraid I just can't let you do that". "But why not!?" shouted Francesco back at her. "The waiters do it all the time-" "Because it's their job Pumpkin Pie. For you it's different" Frannie interjected. "I know; we'll get an opinion from a third party. You there!" Francesco shouted, pointing at the door.

Mr. Mowz immediately fell back on his rear and tried to make a quick exit but fate had other plans. Mr. Mowz cursed his terrible luck as Francesco cheerily opened the door and grabbed his collar before he could escape and said "Come on, we need your help". "Say" asked Frannie concerned, "what were you doing out there anyways? You look familiar". "Oh I'm the uh…" Mr. Mowz hesitated as he tried to come up with an excuse as quickly as possible. "Professional Lock Inspector (yeah, that's it). Slash uh…barista! Here is your coffee sir" Mr. Mowz said offering the drink to Francesco.

"Why thank you" said Francesco as he took the cup and put Mr. Mowz down. "Now maybe you can convince my wife to stop being such and idiot". "I am not, Sugar Plumb" replied the most feared woman in Rougeport.

Mr. Mowz put up both his hands and said "Okay, okay, what is the problem exactly?" "Honey won't let me dress up for Halloween!" cried Francesco. Mr. Mowz thought a moment and said "I don't see anything wrong with tha-" "As one of our waiters in the casino" interjected Frannie. "Oh!" Mr. Mowz replied surprised. "I can see why you wouldn't want him to wear that".

"But it's Halloween!" said Francesco. "People dress up for Halloween all the time, and I want to dress up as an adorable cat!" Frannie pinched the bridge of her nose and her tree visibly wilting. "I love him, but he's just too innocent for his own good sometimes" Frannie said distressed.

That comment ignited an argument that seemed to last an eternity for Mr. Mowz as the two of them went in circles like two children fighting over whose turn it was on the swing set. Eventually Mr. Mowz got to say a word in edgewise. "Look Frannie, I mean Doña, I can see why you'd be concerned but there isn't any harm in dressing like that is there? No one would dare harass the husband of the Doña would they?" "No I guess not…" responded Frannie, "but I still don't want him to do it". "What don't you trust him?" Mr. Mowz said while throwing Francesco a concerned glance.

"Yeah, don't you trust me?" Francesco said pouncing on his opportunity. "Don't you believe I'd be a faithful husband? That I just want to have fun? To have a little freedom?" Francesco quickly began breaking into tears. "You don't love me at all, do you? I should go kill myself and become a ghost, to haunt you the rest of your life for being such a bad wife". Francesco let out a dramatic sigh and fell to the ground.

"Sweetie Pie!" Frannie yelled as she rushed over to his side. "I'm so sorry! You can dress however you want, I don't care". "Gee, thanks" Francesco said as he quickly stood up with a smile on his face. "Now let's go downstairs and you can feed me those cherries I love so much; you owe me". "Sure thing Candy Apple. Thank you Mr. Inspector, occasionally people need to remember that sometimes they just need to trust someone". Mr. Mowz waved as they left the room before muttering "Trust isn't always a good thing".

Mr. Mowz set upon the safe hidden behind a painting of the old Doña and soon cracked the code. "There it is" Mr. Mowz said with anticipation dripping from his voice, "the Kingpin Pin; only one in the Mushroom Kingdom". As he closed the safe, making sure to leave a little logo of himself behind to ensure they knew who did it, and began back towards the Pianta Palace.

Making it back at last, Mr. Mowz was about to pounce upon Maria with his trademark stealth when they were both caught privy to the same scream of distress. Recognizing it immediately, Maria started running to the Private Rooms upstairs with Mr. Mowz right on her heels.


	5. Turtle Temptation

Koopie walked into the crowd absolutely terrified of being alone in such a scary place, but she knew it was better than the alternative. She had absolutely no ability bluff and the speed and the tension of roulette always wracked her nerves. "I don't want to ruin their fun" she whispered to herself in the dark, "it's better this way".

Like a lost lamb, Koopie wandered through the rows of slot machines, gambling tables, and bars for a few minutes. The pockets of both her pants and sweater were filled to the brim with Piantas but she didn't have the nerve to nerve to sit at any of the tables or buy anything from the waiters. The slot machines seemed to be the obvious choice, but it was a busy night and there wasn't a single chair left open. Tonight just wasn't Koopie's lucky night.

"Hello madam!" said a voice right behind her. Koopie let out a small scream and turned around to see Peeka Boo standing, a smile stitched on his face. "You appear to be having trouble deciding what game to play. Would you like some assistance?" "N-no thank you" replied Koopie white as a sheet, "I'm fine on my own".

Peeka ignored her though and said "Oh, I' sure we can find something for you". He grabbed Koopie's hand and immediately regretted it as her face flushed like a tomato and she began to babble nonsensically. "Oh Grambi…Lahla! Help me take this girl into the break room, we've got a situation".

Lahla dropped what he was doing and followed them. Eventually the two managed to calm her down but she still looked worse for wear. "What's the matter?" asked Peeka, genuine concern in his voice. "You seem really tense". "Have you seen a ghost or something?" added Lahla.

"Well, today I was supposed to go trick-or-treat with my friends but we ended up here instead and I'vebeenreallystressedthisweek andthenthemantookmyhngandtoo kmetothemnh and and and-" Koopie's flush returned and she returned to the land of gibberish. Lahla shook his head and said "Okay, one thing at a time. What happened this week?"

Catching her breath once again Koopie began to explain. "Well my boyfriend finally proposed to me and at first I was really excited…but after a while it started to get to me. Koop was already really controlling and protective and this has only made it worse. The only reason I'm here at all is that I managed to convince him this was it; after my friends leave and we get married I'm never leaving my hometown again. I feel trapped and…I'm scared".

By now the twin's air of jollity had come and passed and they both sat listening intently to what Koopie said. "I came here with my friends but I just can't enjoy myself. I should feel like the luckiest girl in the world right now but I…don't".

"I know how you feel" said Lahla. "This job seemed pretty good at first. Nice pay, benefits, etc., but they don't let you leave." "We've been working four days straight and haven't slept a wink" Peeka continued for his brother. "Even ghosts need sleep!"

"Wow", replied Koopie completely speechless. Lahla continued with a dejected look on his face, saying "I got this job to get enough money to start our own store, to actually be our own bosses". "That won't happen though, not until those vampires suck us dry at least".

"I'm so sorry" cried Koopie, "I shouldn't have been so selfish. I've won the lottery compared to you guys! I won't bother you any-" "Whoa whoa" said Lahla. "Calm down Ms.-" "K-Koopie". "Ms. Koopie. It's okay, our stress isn't any more important than yours. Why don't we just, you know, relax for a few minutes?" "I'm sure you'll be just fine in a few minutes" said Peeka as he filled three cups of coffee for them to share.

After a few minutes of talking Koopie finally started to feel herself loosen up. For ten minutes they spoke about Pianta Syndicate, Koopie's adventures with Maria, the latest news, and work at the Palace and Koopie became more and more comfortable with the wins. "And so this fat tourist, a toad, sits down at the bar" explained Peeka while gesturing with his hands, "and she's so heavy the stool just breaks under her! So I look down and say 'Sorry miss, I can't take your order; I'm afraid you'll break the floor too'!"

Koopie burst out in a fit of laughter, barely saving her drink from spilling over and acting louder than she's been in weeks. "You both have really interesting job don't you? I'm almost starting to feel a bit jealous" said Koopie as she caught her breath. "I'd stay here all night and listen to your stories if I could". Lahla let out a sad sigh however and said "I wish we could too, but we don't have any reason to treat you differently than any other customer and we'll have to get back to work soon".

Koopie thought for a moment and took out a piece of paper from her pocket. "Goombriel sent me this pass a few minutes ago…does it mean anything to you guys?" The boos stood up immediately and stared speechless at the VIP upstairs pass. "My, my…" said Lahla as he gave his brother a sly look. "This changes things" completed Peeka.

"What? What's wrong?" said Koopie concerned. "Nothing, nothing" replied Peeka. "That pass will let you use one of the private rooms upstairs and we'd 'have no choice' but to serve you". "You just say the word" said Lahla, "and we can do whatever you want". Koopie soon began to blush and returned to her stuttering ways. "I d-don't know if I can do th-that" she said while sinking her head into the neck of her yellow sweater.

"It's your choice of course" said Peeka. "But if you really want to get out of your shell, you know where to find us" Lahla said before the duo flew up through the ceiling and left Koopie behind with her thoughts. After a minute she was walking up the stairs and asking a guard to direct her to the twin's room.

She felt guilty for following two scantily clad men ready to 'serve' her when she was supposed to be engaged, but she wasn't married yet and this was a once in a lifetime chance to spend time with these two; it would be a waste to let such good luck go to waste and never see the boos again. Besides, it wasn't like they were going to do anything indecent after all…

She put her hand on the doorknob and hesitated for a moment. 'I can go back downstairs right now and be safe and leave scot-free' she thought to herself, 'or I can be brave and take a risk. Be strong and do what I want!' Convinced and determined, Koopie opened the door and entered the room.

"Welcome" the twins said together as sat at the poker table in the middle of the room, Peeka shuffling a deck of cards and Lahla sipping even more coffee. "It's nice to see our little butterfly has decided to join us" said Peeka, placing the deck on the table. Lahla threw his paper cup into a nearby trash can and said "It's a good thing you showed up when you did; I couldn't stand looking at Peeka's ugly face any longer".

Koopie sat down and put her tokens onto the table. "What are we playing guys?" she asked. "As we said, it's your choice" responded Peeka. "I know how to play 'boat', 'airplane', 'tube', and 'paper' styles of poker. You name it, I can deal it". "Oh, uh…" responded Koopie with no idea what he was talking about. "Let's just do five card draw" said Lahla, coming to her rescue. "It's very popular among the new players".

And so the first hand was dealt and the three continued their conversations. Koopie managed to feel like a hero by recounting her fight with Hooktail, Lahla described his dream store down to the smallest details, Peeka described the life of being a model that doubled as being a perfect Halloween scary story, and they all continued to grow closer together.

Trust, however, is never a good thing when gambling and Koopie began to lose her tokens at an alarming pace. "I'm no good at this" Koopie said with a sad look on her face. "Nonsense" replied Lahla, "it's just as much about luck as it is skill; I'm sure you'll catch up eventually". Fate had other plans however, and Koopie soon found herself without a Pianta and their conversation had to come to an end.

"What a disappointment" said Lahla. "Now I'll never know if you managed to save the world from destruction". "Not necessarily" interjected Peeka. "The private rooms do have some special rules concerning…clothing as an acceptable wager. We could switch to that if you want to play longer". Koopie once again lit up like a jack-o-lantern and once again considered heading downstairs. "B-but all you guys are wearing is that skirt!" replied a despondent Koopie. "We know; you're at a huge disadvantage" said Lahla as he shuffled the cards for the next round.

"This seems really risky" responded Koopie, playing with her hair nervously. "The risk makes it all the sweeter " Lahla said calmly as he dealt the cards. "And this is your last night away from home, right? So; are you in or out?"

Koopie said nothing, and picked up her hand. The Boo brothers then continued on talking like everything was normal and Koopie did her best to join in. Koopies luck only seemed to get worse however, as she lost her shoes, her socks, her sweater, and finally her pants. She still continued on playing however, and eventually Peeka and Lahla couldn't tell if she was trembling from tension or from the cold.

"Wow, you really aren't doing well tonight" said Peeka as he tried not to stare at the shaking Koopa in her underwear before him. "I-I can still play" retorted Koopie. "I just gotta get lucky once, and I-I'll win!" Peeka gave a concerned glance at his brother but shuffled the deck anyway. "Our contracts say we have to do what you want but…are you sure you're enjoying yourself? You look almost as bad as when we found you". "If you can't handle it, we'd completely understand-" Lahla began to say before getting cut off.

"No!" yelled Koopie. "You were right Lahla; I feel s-so alive right now. This is my last night of freedom and I'm going to enjoy it! Just please play one more hand and I'll promise I'll stop, okay?" Peeka nodded towards Lahla but said nothing and dealt the final hand. They both knew their boss would (re)kill them for attempting to do what they were about to try, throwing a game, but they just couldn't let her lose again.

In the end it didn't matter; Koopie attempted a straight flush but ended up with just a high six and Lahla with a high Jack. Everyone at the table let out a disappointed sigh and Koopie reached for the clasp of her bra. Just as she took it off, Koopie heard the door behind her open and she came face to face with her fiancé, her battle yoyo in his hand and his jaw flat on the floor. Not knowing anything else to do, Koopie simply panicked and let out the loudest scream that she could.

Her luck had officially run out.


	6. A Scary Meadow

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow" Koopie said as her fiancé, Koop, dragged her by the ear through Petal Meadows. By now the sun's rays have completely faded and the stars and moon lit the night sky in unadmired beauty.

Koop ignored the now fully clothed woman's cries of pain and instead stormed on grumbling to himself. "'One more night' she said. 'I'll be fine' she said. 'I won't do ANYTHING unfaithful!'" "You don't understand!" cried Koopie. "You just came at a bad time, it wasn't what it looked like!"

"Oh, so you weren't playing strip poker with two barely clothed men?" asked Koop. "Well, I was…but-!" "I don't want to hear it".

Koopie's friends followed closely behind, doing their best to keep up as they left the flowered fields and entered the sleepy riverside town. There were Halloween decorations here and there, jack-o-lanterns and some fake bats, but it was barely noticeable and almost no one on the streets wore a costume.

"Look I know you're angry, you have every right to be" said Maria between gasps of breath. "But we can still talk about this like civilized human beings, right?" Without missing a step, Koop responded "We can talk about this once we get home, I think someone has an awful lot of explaining to do".

"What did Koopie do wrong?" said Kami, easily outpacing all seven of them even with a large assortment of toys in her arms. "They were just playing a game right? And it looked fun! Koopie, can I play with you the next time we go?" Koopie actually managed to laugh for a moment, but said somberly "I don't think there is going to be a next time Kami".

Kami looked down sadly at her prizes and picked one of them out before handing it to Koopie. "This is Mr. Olimar from 'Pikmin'. He knows that as long as you stick with your friends, you'll be alright. As long as you have him with you, you'll have a piece of me and you'll never be alone. Even if we never…"

"I-I-" Koopie stuttered "don't know what to say". "I'd prefer it if you didn't say anything for now" interjected Koop. Eventually Koopie's humiliating journey through the town came to an end and the group arrived at her and Koop's house. Goombriel, who had to carry Vixen because of his long dress, nearly collapsed when they stopped. Vixen should have had a smile for that, but didn't appear much happier than Koopie.

Koop let go of his fiancé's ear and turned to her friends. "You can all go home now. This just between us and I'd rather we settled this personally". "No" responded Maria. "I insist on helping her explain the situation and help you both go about this rationally". She knew that left Koopie alone Koop would be able to bully her into whatever he wanted.

"Me too" joined in Bobbera. "It pains my old heart to see young lovers squabble like this, and I want to see this end as smoothly as possible". "Me three!" Kami said excitedly. "Koopie is like my second mommy, and I want to help her anyway I can!" "Er-" mumbled Maria, fearing for Koop's life. "I think…you need to catch up on your trick-or-treating". "Yeah" said Goombriel, "the five of us can all go down the street while they talk. Right guys?"

Everyone in the group nodded except for Vixen, who twiddled his fingers nervously. "I'm a little stressed right now. Is it okay if I go and relax in the flower gardens for a while?" "Of course" said Sir Flureon. "We shall all convene back here in thirty minutes, all right?" "Sure" said Kami. "But what about Koopie? I don't want to abandon her".

"I'll be fine" said Koopie. "Trust me when I say being an adult isn't as fun as it seems to be, but I'll make it through okay. You just go out there and enjoy your youth, okay? You can even use my candy bag that I was going to use".

Koopie handed Kami a blue cloth bag covered with sunflowers from her sweater pocket and Kami loaded her toys into it. "Are you sure?" asked Kami. "Positive". This time it was Kami's turn to have her lungs crushed from air as Koopie hugged her as hard as she could.

An impatient Koop stood at the door, tapping his foot for a minute before coughing and saying, with an obvious hint of anger in his voice, "Let's go inside now. I'll go set the table and get us all something to eat so we can…relax". And with that the three groups finally went their separate ways into the darkening night.


	7. Pink House of Doom

*Dingdong*

Kami rang the doorbell of the large pink manor and waited excitedly for her candy to arrive. "Hold on you young whippersnappers!" came a voice from deep within the house. "I'll be there in a minute. I just need my teeth…and my cane…and my shoes…and my…" The voice eventually trialed off and the group found themselves waiting by the door. "This house seems familiar" said Goombriel. "I've got a bad feeling about this".

"Oh calm yourself Goombriel" responded Sir Flureon. "Tis only coincidence". "Yeah Goombriel" added Mr. Mowz as he leaned against the porch wall, "you have to learn to be chill; like me". "Oh, I don't think I want to be anything like you" Goombriel quickly retorted.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Mr. Mowz asked accusingly. "Nothing" said Goombriel, averting his eyes. "Goodness gracious you two" said Sir Flureon. "We are men, not monsters; act civilized". "Says the devil" snarked Goombriel, eliciting a small giggle from Mr. Mowz.

"Anyways" continued Mr. Mowz, "a man like me learns to be patient". Mr. Mowz took out a coin from his back pocket, one side blue and one side green, and started flipping it into the air. "One moment too late or too early makes you look like a fool, but if you wait for just the right moment…" With a flash in his eyes, Mr. Mowz suddenly struck the coin in midair with his hand which created a shower of colored dust and sparks. All three of his friends were instantly enraptured for a few seconds, just long enough for a whip, a bag, and some horns to enter the thief's hands without anyone noticing.

"…you can let your true beauty and talent shine" Mr. Mowz finished. "Showoff" grumbled Goombriel. They all suddenly heard the doorknob turn and an incredibly old Koopa lady with stripped green sweater, short grey hair, and bushy eyebrows appeared before them. "Finally!" sighed Kami.

"My, aren't you all just adorable!" she said with a very tired voice. "What are you? Wait, don't tell me; I know. You're mannequin" she said pointing to Mr. Mowz, "you're a rodeo clown" she said to Goombriel, "you're a werewolf" she said to Kami, "and you're Sir Flureon. A very convincing costume, but I'd try harder next Halloween".

The old woman began searching her pockets for something to give Kami, and Goombriel shifted over to Mr. Mowz and Sir Flureon. "This isn't good" he said in a hushed wisper. "This is the mayor of Petalburg; the worst rambler in the whole world! Whatever you do, don't ask any questions and leave as soon as possible".

The mayor pulled out a large piece of caramel candy wrapped in clear plastic and dropped it into Kami's bag. "Thank you Miss! Say, do you know why the decorations here are so sparse? It's totally lame". Goombriel cursed under his breath and tried to signal for Kami to shut up ASAP but it was far too late. "I'm glad you asked. Well it all begins with the founding of Petalburg five hundred years ago…"

"I'd love to listen to your story but…I have to go wash my hair first. I'll be right back" said Goombriel before slipping away as quickly as he could. "Yeah and uh…Kami needs to go to the bathroom! I better take her" said Mr. Mowz. "No I don-ow!" whined Kami before receiving a small pinch. "I mean, yeah! Better hurry too!" she said as she got the hint and ran off as well.

Sir Flureon remained there alone with the woman, indignant over his abandonment. "True gentlemen never walk out on a lady" he thought to himself, "but believe me when I say this dog will have his day".

"That just leaves us two Mr. uh…" "Sir Flureon". "Suuure you are" the mayor responded sarcastically. "Anyways, five hundred years ago this whole place was disputed territory between the Koopa Troop and the Mushroom Kingdom. Koopas made their wonderful little houses here but it was surrounded by the Mushroom Kingdom. Many wars were fought over this spot until the dragon Hooktail showed up at his castle again and started munching on the locals like I did on lettuce in my youth. So the leaders of the Koopa Troop and the Mushroom Kigndom, Chancellor Bowsermark and Prince Pear the Third, immediately unclaimed the territory. No one had defeated a dragon in over five hundred years, so the two sides started fighting over who wouldn't control Petal Meadows. Finally the Koopas defeated the Toads in the battle Raspberry Pass, where my great great great great great great grandmother won the Great Mushroom Badge of Not Running Away (a rare honor in the Mushroom Army), and the Mushroom Kingdom was forced to acknowledge their own sovereignty over the area. What were we talking about again? Oh right, the Halloween decorations. So even though they were officially part of the Mushroom Kingdom, absolutely no one could do anything about Hooktail. We couldn't leave because Hooktail didn't want to lose any of his cattle, so we were all trapped here all alone with no way out and nothing to do but hide from Hooktail. Bright lights of jack-o-lanterns and shiny decorations just attracted the beast, and we dealt with enough fear every day to last several lifetimes so the costumes and scary stories were both out. So every year on Halloween we just gathered all the food and sweets we could and ate under the stars in complete darkness. Not that I'm not thankful that the blasted beast is gone, but this is the first year we've deviated from that tradition and I miss it. Moments like that, where you could potentially be eaten at any moment, really makes you trust the person next to you. You realize that so much more can be said without words than with, you know what I mean? Why, this reminds me of the time I met my husband…"

By now Sir Flureon was fast asleep; his wind powers being the only thing keeping him from falling over and a noticeably ungentlemanly length of drool began to slide down his chin. The mayor continued to talk on oblivious as Sir Flureon subconsciously wished she would learn to speak without words.


	8. Heated Rivalry

"Thank goodness we managed to escape in time" said a gasping Goombriel next to an equally tired Mr. Mowz. "Say, what happened to Sir Flureon?" "I don't know" replied the gentleman thief who quickly straightened his posture. "Do you want to go check on him?"

Goombriel quickly shifted his eyes and coughed. "I'm sure he'll catch up eventually. Besides, he wouldn't want us to miss trick-or-treating because of him, right?" "Right!" agreed Kami.

The newly formed trio made their way down the street over to next house and knocked on the door. It went reasonably well, with each of them taking their own pieces of candy including a large cube of caramel that Kami could not grab fast enough. As soon as they were away from the door and back on the street, Kami ripped the wrapper off and took a huge bite. This proved to be a very bad idea as her teeth and fangs became deeply entrenched in the sugar with no sign of escape.

"Mmmmphm!" mumbled Kami as she tried in vain to free her jaw even with her impressive strength. "Is something wrong dear?" asked Mr. Mowz. "Oh! Now what did I tell you about patience my little green friend?" he said with a small laugh.

Goombriel knelt down in front of Kami and grasped the dangling sweet. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it" he said trying to be as comforting as possible. "Ha!" exclaimed Mr. Mowz. "A weakling like you can pull that out? That'll be the day".

"I'll show him" thought Goombriel as he grasped as hard as he could and started pulling. The candy didn't budge an inch however and it seemed more likely he'd pull Kami's head off first. "Mmph" whined Kami incomprehensibly as tears started to form in her eyes. "Im hmhs, mmmease mmhp" she pleaded to deaf ears as Goombriel continued to just pull harder.

"Stop!" said Mr. Mowz. "Can't you see you're hurting her?" Goombriel abruptly stopped and Mr. Mowz reached down and gently put his right hand on Kami's chin. "Shh my little angel. On the count of three, I need you to open as wide as you can. Can you do that?" Kami nodded her head and whipped the tears from her eyes. "Okay. One, two…three!" On three Mr. Mowz just managed to slip Kami's fangs from her teeth and take them out with the caramel. "Now wonder this thing got stuck; this candy is probably older than you are" Mr. Mowz said as he examined it closely. "And don't worry; we'll get you new fangs eventually, okay?" Kami sniffed a little and nodded her head again.

"I'm so sorry Kami, I had no idea! Besides, it was Mr. Mowz's idea in the first place" said Goombriel. "Don't blame me for your clumsiness whelp" Mr. Mowz responded as they all began heading to the next house. "I don't blame either of you" said Kami as she rubbed her jaw, "I know you were both just trying to help".

It was obvious neither of them was going to let this go however as an air of tension lingered as they rang the doorbell on the next house. They all took their candy as usual at first, but once they were out of earshot again Mr. Mowz said "Someone's acting greedy tonight". "What was that?" said Goombriel indignantly. "Everyone knows it's rude to take more than one piece of candy, let alone six! You certainly don't need any extra weight".

"Am I seriously being criticized for taking too much by a thief? Now I've seen everything" Goombriel snarked back. "Just because I'm a master thief does not mean I've lost all my manners. Let me guess; those candies you took 'belong in a museum'?" said Mr. Mowz. "You better keep your hands in front of your face!" threatened Goombriel.

"Calm down you two!" said Kami pouting. "There is enough candy for everyone and we can take as much as we want. Now can we please just get along?" The two obligingly stopped but refused to look at each other as they continued down the street. The next few houses passed without incident but in sullen silence as Mr. Mowz and Goombriel exchanged glares with each other.

"So, uh…" said Kami as they walked, trying her best to think of a way to lighten the mood. "How is school going Goombi? Are you going to graduate any time soon?" "Things are going fine" he responded dryly. "What about you Mr. Mowz? How's the shop?" "Oh you know; fashionable, profitable, undefeatable" said Mr. Mowz.

"Oh, you mean that massive ego you call a store? I'm shocked no one has found you yet given how you advertise yourself like Chuckola" Goombriel said angrily at Mr. Mowz. "Well excuse me princess. You have no right to criticize my style until you stop borrowing clothes from the corpses you study!" The two looked about ready to leap at each other's thoughts, barely restraining themselves from breaking out into a fight.

"Stop it you two!" shouted Kami, stopping on the side of the road. "What is wrong with you guys anyway? How can you guys bicker like this after all you've been through together?" "Oh, everything WE'VE been through, huh?" asked Mr. Mowz sarcastically. "Perhaps you should remind Goombriel about that? You've never really accepted me as part of the group, always treating me like an outsider. At the inn you never sit next to or talk to me when we eat, you've always tried to persuade Maria not to trust me, and you've never treated me with any respect!"

"A womanizing thief who obviously wants inside Maria's pants? Please tell me, what is so respectable and trustworthy about that? For someone who loves displaying themselves, why is it that I've never noticed any good qualities?" said Goombriel with a tone in his voice as darker than the surrounding night.

"What does Maria have in her pants that Mr. Mowz wants? Is it a badge? Will it help make things better?" asked a very confused Kami. The two ignored her however and silently agreed to continue loudly arguing.

"You're best friends with a pirate, a shadow demon, and a crime boss; how am I any worse than they are? And as for Maria, I knew you were the jealous type but this is getting a bit ridiculous" accused Mr. Mowz. Goombriel blushed like a beat and stuttered out "Th-that isn't true! Me and her are just friends, nothing more".

Mr. Mowz saw his chance and struck. "You're too scared to show your true feelings but still want to keep her all to yourself. And people call me thief!" Goombriel face practically exploded with rage; he couldn't take it anymore. "I don't think Maria is some kind of prize to be won, and I don't like you talking about her like that either! But you know what? I'm not going to listen to you any longer!"

The two stormed off in opposite directions, leaving Kami in between them all alone. "This night isn't going well at all" Kami said sadly to herself and wandered off into the meadows.

* * *

Goombriel walked down the streets of Petalburg until eventually leaving town and sitting down one the side of the bridge to Rougeport. He wasn't thinking straight, everything seemed blurry he was so upset. "How dare he say things like that?! I wish I never even met that guy, he's never done anything good for anyone. Nothing that jerk said about me is true…right?"

Goombriel quieted down and sat in silence, alone and empty. The darkness of the night got more intense as his emotions stormed inside himself, unsure of what to do next. And not just metaphorically either; one by one the stars in the sky could no longer be seen as something began to eclipse them.

Goombriel squinted in its direction and said "That looks like…"

* * *

"…smoke!" examined Mr. Mowz. He immediately got up from the tree he was sitting at and rushed over to the source of the fire. A large section of the flower fields appeared to have caught fire, with several individuals running as fast as they could away from the blinding blaze. Both Goombriel and Mr. Mowz arrived in time to find Vixen nearly collapsed from smoke inhalation and on his hands and knees.

"Vixen!" shouted Goombriel who quickly rushed to Vixen's side. "What happened?" "Fire…my fault…need help" Vixen managed to cough out. "It's okay, I'm sure whatever happened isn't your fault" responded Mr. Mowz, "now let's get you somewhere safe".

"No!" coughed Vixen. "Kami needs help…still in there". "What?" Goombriel and Mr. Mowz exclaimed together. "Go help her, I'll be fine. I just…gotta…" and with that Vixen managed to disappeared into Goombriel and Mr. Mowz's shadow, teleporting somewhere far away from the danger.

"Let's go!" said Goombriel and they rushed off together. Goombriel covered his mouth with his shirt sleeve and handed Mr. Mowz his hat so they don't have to breathe in as much smoke. The fire proved to be more difficult, as it took tight maneuvering to make sure they didn't get burned. Eventually they came across Kami, completely surrounded by the fire but still acting like she could fight her way out.

"*cough cough* is that all you got? You sure are a pansy fire, aren't you?" Kami ran around as fast as she could but couldn't find a way past the flames and quickly started to slow down. It was clear breathing was becoming harder and harder and they both needed to get to her as soon as they could.

"Hold on" said Mr. Mowz as he grabbed Goombriel by the waist and started running forward. "Wha-, what are you doooooing!?" Goombriel said in surprise as Mr. Mowz did a super jump twelve feet into the air and crashing down on the other side of the flames.

By now Kami had collapsed and was breathing shallowly on the ground. "She's got heatstroke! I've got some water and a towel with me, you clear a way through the field!" shouted Goombriel over the flames. Mr. Mowz cleared a small hole through the fire by clearing away the grass with a large stick. "We don't have much time here!" said Mr. Mowz as his tool began to catch fire as well.

"Everything will be alright Kami, just wait a little while longer" said Goombriel as he put a wet towel on her head and Kami, barely conscious, drank some water. "Alright, let's go!"

* * *

By the time they reached town again, Cheep-Cheep firefighters had arrived and began using firing water from the nearby rivers all over the field with hoses and their own natural abilities. Goombriel laid Kami down on the side of the road, Mr. Mowz giving his own shirt as a pillow and the two holding her hands to let her know she was safe.

"It's over" sighed Goombriel. He looked up at Mr. Mowz on the other side of Maria and blushed. "Look I'm sorry I've treated so badly in the past. Maybe I was jealous of all the things you could do…that I couldn't". "You don't need to apologize for anything, I never deserved your trust" responded Mr. Mowz.

"Well if there is one thing I learned tonight it is that, at least deep down, you are a good person and we can get along. So what do you say; truce?" Mr. Mowz looked at the sleeping Kami and thought for a moment.

"Truce". They shook hands and began to relax on the side of the dirt road.

"My goodness, what happened here?" said a voice behind them. "Is Hooktail back? Did a meteor hit? Does Bowla have another cold?"

They turned around and saw Maria, Koopie, and Bobbera watching the firewomen combat what was left of the fire, not noticing the three sitting on the road.

"Something happened in the field that made it catch of fire. No one was killed, but Kami here took quite a beating from the heat" said Mr. Mowz.

"Oh my goodness!" said Maria incredibly frightened. "I never should have left you guys alone; bad stuff keeps happening when I do that". She saw Kami sleeping softly though, and began to calm down. "At least she is safe now. How did it happen?"

"That would be me" said a regenerated Vixen, literally stepping out of the shadows of a nearby house. "It's kinda a long story, but it was an accident I swear! I nearly got killed myself trying to put out that thing".

"I'm sure you can tell us on our way out of town" said Bobbera. "I've had quite enough of this place". "How did the talk go?" Goombriel asked Koopie as he scooped up Kami. "Things went fine" Koopie said happily. "I won't be having any problems with Koop again, don't worry about that".

As the group began to exit the town, stopping briefly to rescue a still sleeping Sir Flureon from a still talking Mayor, Koopie glanced worryingly over at Kami. "Is it safe to be moving her like that?" Koopie asked Maria. "Don't forget Koopie, Kami is much stronger than she looks" replied Maria.

"Besides, I know a great place for healing…"


	9. Fiery Flower Field

Vixen walked away from his friends and into the eternally green fields of Petal Meadows, careful not to ruin his dress as he walked. He never thought that he'd ever pass up a moment to spend time with his best friends, but he just couldn't take it anymore. Vixen needed a place to relax, and needed one fast.

He eventually reached a clearing in the field filled with rows of flowers. Roses, petunias, sunflowers, daisies, mallows, buttercups, every type of flower one could imagine neatly arranged in sections. There was very little lighting so Vixen could not see them very well, but their fragrances created a symphony of smells. Vixen took in one deep breath and he began to feel himself unwind.

"Oh, hello there" said a relaxed voice behind him. "We don't usually have any visitors this late at night". Vixen turned around and saw a woman with green skin kneeling on the ground and tending some flowers. She appeared to be wearing a dress made of grass and flowers, but upon closer inspection Vixen saw that the dress was actually a part of her. The kindly gardener was a living garden herself; a Bub-ulb, the plant people who inhabit the fields of the Mushroom Kingdom.

"It's fine though, these flower gardens are open to the public 24/7. But what brings you here on a holiday as big as Halloween? Shouldn't you be with your friends right about now?" "I'm afraid not" replied Vixen as he knelt down beside her. "Things with my friends aren't exactly going well right now".

Hearing this news did nothing to damper the Bub-ulb's mood however and she asked "Do you want to talk about it? That always makes me feel better when I have problems". "No…I was actually hoping to come here to be alone, with just my thoughts". The gardener just smiled and nodded her head. "I understand, but I think you will feel better after you express yourself. Why don't you talk to the flowers? They absolutely love it when you talk to them and they won't judge you at all. Isn't that right fellas?"

There was of course no reply, and Vixen let out a small cough. "I don't know" said Vixen as he awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to think it over" said the gardener as she gathered her things. "I'll leave you alone with my friends, as just a long as you promise to take care of them, okay?"

"Sure" replied Vixen, and the two went their separate ways with the gardener heading back to Petalburg and Vixen beginning to wander the garden. He tried his best to enjoy the feel of the night and the beauty and smell of the flowers, but he felt something eat away at him on the inside. Eventually he couldn't take it anymore and turned to speak to the flowers.

"So uh…hi" said Vixen.

"…" replied the flowers.

"How is your day going? Just…being flowers, huh? It must be nice not having to deal with people yelling at you or having relationships destroyed right in front of your eyes". The flowers simply stared back and didn't say anything. "I feel so guilty coming out here by myself when I should be helping my friends feel better but I just couldn't take it. Whenever my brother Jaspert yelled at me, it would never end well and all this just brings back unpleasant memories".

His audience continued their blank stares but it was slowly ceasing to matter to Vixen as he kept setting his heart loose. "The worst part is that I know Koopie and Koop both love each other, and Jaspert loves me deep down as well, but they keep getting angry at each other anyway. Maybe they don't realize how fragile the things they love are, or they can't see past themselves, I don't know. I just know that it all makes about as much sense as a staring contest with a Shy Guy".

The bright faces of the flowers sat attentively as Vixen unleashed everything that was pent up inside him. After he was done talking about his friends he talked about his family, his daily life, the world, everything he could possibly complain about. By the end of it all Vixen was practically out of breath and his stress lay on the ground before him like ten-ton weights. "That lady was right, you guys really are great listeners" Vixen said as he wiped his brow.

"Thank you" said the flowers.

Vixen nearly jumped out of his clothes in shock as he was taken completely by surprise. "What!? You guys can talk?" He heard some giggling followed by a girl saying "No, it's me silly!" Vixen turned around to find Kami, now a fangless vampire, standing before him.

"Oh, uh…how long have you been standing there?" asked Vixen nervously. "Around the part where you said the sun was invented just to sell people like you sunscreen". Vixen blushed heavily and tried his best to change the subject; "So, what happened to everyone else?" he said. "Sir Flureon got a bit distracted and Mr. Mowz and Goombriel decided to have a vocal cord contest before leaving me in the street" Kami said angrily, pouting and crossing her arms.

"Oh, of course" replied a disappointed Vixen. "Hopefully those two will get some sense in them eventually. How about we just relax here in the garden for a while until they stop being such dorks, okay?" Kami thought a moment and said "That may take a while, but I might as well".

The two walked around the garden for a while, Vixen entrapped in his new friends' company. Eventually, as the night grew darker, Vixen couldn't see the flowers nearly as well as he could before. His eyes strained in the night as he grew frustrated at the lack of lights.

But then it hit him: he could be his own light! "I've just got to be careful" Vixen thought. With a snap of his fingers a tiny flame appeared above his thumb and the flowers all began to show their faces in front of them. They were so magnificent and perfect that Vixen began to forget everything; his friends, his family, the world, and even the flame. Vixen spotted a particularly beautiful rose and leaned town to take the flower's scent, not realizing what he was about to give the flower.

By the time Vixen had realized that the flowers had caught fire a fourth row was up in flames. The fire's heat didn't hurt, it literally couldn't harm him, but he knew that the whole town would be in trouble if it spread. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" Vixen said hurriedly as he tried to stomp out the flames to no avail. If anything, he we was just spreading the flames further.

By now the light became bright enough to begin to burn his shadow essence, what made him a Shadow Siren, and the smoke was making it hard to breath. He kept trying in vain to put out the flames however as Kami noticed what was happening from a few rows a way. "What happened?" she cried in panic. "I didn't mean to!" coughed Vixen. "I just wanted to get a closer look and they caught fire!"

"What do we do?" asked Kami. "Throw some dirt on it or something, anything to stop the fire from spreading!" said Vixen. The fought the fire in vain for several minutes and eventually ended up separated in the blaze. "Don't worry Kami!" yelled Vixen over the roar of the fire. "I'll go get help!" "Pfft, I'm not afraid of any old fire!" Kami replied before seeking a way back to town.

While Vixen was protected from the heat, the smoke and the light from the fire still caused him a great amount of pain as Vixen ran back towards Petalburg. There weren't even any good shadows him to sink into and teleport either; they were all devoured by the flames. At least when the sun was out he could use his sunhat to create a shadow large enough to hide in.

After what felt like an eternity Vixen managed to reach town again. A great amount of relief filled his body, which was the last thing he felt before passing out for a second and landing face first on the ground.


	10. Out of Her Shell

"Please, have a seat".

Koop ushered the three women into the home's dining room and began setting the table, Koopie and Maria sitting on one side and Bobbera taking seat on the other. "Forgive me; I wasn't expecting any guests tonight, so I hope you don't mind some reheated shroom steak and spicy soup".

"Oh, it's fine. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's barged in on someone while they're unprepared" said Maria as she sheepishly laughed to herself. Koop took a deep breath but said nothing, and left for the kitchen with his hands slightly shaking.

Koopie's own composure began to fade as well after Koop left, as she began nervously tapping her feet in the cold, silent room. Koopie looked up at the crystal chandelier above the table, all of which showed thousands of reflections of Koopie. She quickly turned away however, preferring to look down at her empty plate.

Koopie couldn't help but jump as Maria placed a hand on her shoulder, achieving the opposite of what Maria wanted to happen. "Whoa there girl, calm down! You nearly jumped out of your clothes for a second". Maria let out another pathetic laugh before retreating her hand and returning to the silence of the room.

By now they could all clearly smell the steak being heated and they all knew that it would only be another minute before Koop would come in and they'd have to stop running. Koopie practically began hyperventilating as the tension began to form on her like a ton of bricks. "Don't worry Koopie, everything is going to be fine" assured Maria. "You did nothing wrong and we just have to make him understand that".

This didn't help however, as Koopie continued to spiral out of control. She felt like she was hit with a dizzy dial as the whole room appeared to spin. At that moment Koopie wished more than anything that she had her hoodie with her so she could turtle up inside it and just hide forever.

Without warning, Bobbera reached over to the other side of the table and placed a cigarette in Koopie's mouth. "What are you doing?" asked Maria. "Smoking kills you know". "Girlie, I think she'll die if she doesn't smoke at this point" replied Bobbera. Bobbera lit Koopie's cigarette, and Koopie tried her best to smoke it. She started coughing almost instantly and threw the tobacco to the trash. "How do you stand those things?" asked a much calmer Koopie, finally distracted from the situation at hand. "They seem a little bad at first, but you wonder how ever lived without out them". "Yeah…" sighed Koopie, eyes heading downwards again.

"I'll be out in just a second!" yelled Koop from the kitchen, causing Koopie jerk straight up in her chair. "What do I do?" whispered Koopie to Maria. "As I've said Koopie; relax. Just imagine this like…soccer! Except without the ball…or the kicking…or the game…and with more a stake…and…I should probably shut up now".

Koop came out of the kitchen wearing a classic "Kiss the Cook" apron and the food all in one tray. He placed the steaks and bowls of soup on everyone's plate without saying a word or looking at Koopie as he sat down beside Bobbera and diagonal of Koopie. Maria sipped her soup in silence and tried to think of a way to get the young couple to talk without causing a train wreck.

"So uh…nice weather huh?" "That's Petal Meadows for you" replied Koop as he dug deep into his shroom steak. Maria, giving up, sighed and returned to her soup.

A few minutes later, halfway through their meals, Koop was the first to speak up. "Ms. Bobbera was it? Koopie has told me an awful lot about you; you're a sailor in Rougeport, right?" "That's right" replied Bobbera, looking proud. "It's a hard woman's work, but someone has to do it. You'd be amazed by all the adventures you can have on the high seas". "You were married most of your career as well, right? Were you actually able to remain faithful all those months away from your husband?" "Of course, he meant more to me than anything in the world. I wouldn't let anything get between us".

Koopie began to sink in her seat, trying her best to hold herself together. Bobbera noticed this and quickly tried to repair the damage. "N-not that he wouldn't have forgiven me if I had, because…I knew our love was stronger than that". Maria groaned at the clichéd line, and signaled with her hand for Bobbera to stop talking.

Eventually everyone had eaten as much as they could, which wasn't very much, and Koop collected their dishes. He returned with a Couple's Cake, and cut a piece for each of his guests. "I was planning on sharing this with you when you finally got home Koopie" said Koop. "It really is a shame, everyone knows you aren't supposed to eat this cake with more than two people. Isn't that right Koopie? Or have you forgotten that?"

Koopie slumped even further in her chair as Maria desperately tried to think of a way to change the subject and somehow buy Koopie more time. "I, uh, love your apron Koop! I have one just like it at home, where did you get it?" "Oh, Koopie got this for me for our anniversary last year" replied Koop, eliciting a sharp wince from Maria as she internally cursed herself for opening her big fat mouth again.

"I remember it like it was yesterday. I remember just the two of us alone in this house together, I remember celebrating the death of Hooktail with her. I remember laughing all evening with her as we drank sodas watched silly TV. I remember Koopie saying we'd be together forever…I remember the soft sheets…" Koop couldn't say anymore as tears began to form in his eyes and he rested his head in his hands.

After a moment he finally sat up and looked at Koopie. "Do you think we'll have another day like that again?" Before Koopie could say anything however, Bobbera exploded. "I've had quite about enough of this! You've been guilting and shaming Koopie this whole night. A good spouse should be kind and understanding, not mean and hateful!"

"I told you, this is just between us!" responded Koop. "Is that why you publically dragged her here by her ear like a child?" retorted Bobbera, her face as red as her shirt. "She may be free of the Hooktail, but there still appears to be one selfish dragon in this town! You're being completely unreasonable right now!"

"If Koopie would just say she's sorry for what she's done and promised to stay here, everything would go back to normal" replied an insulted Koop. "And what exactly has she done to you? Played a game of cards in her underwear with two men who probably do that every day? I'm so sure that she had romantic feelings for them over you" said Bobbera sarcastically.

Maria meekly tried to defuse the situation by saying "Well, that wasn't entirely her fault. I mean, if those Boos hadn't-". "Koopie is a grown woman now, she has to take responsibility for her actions" interrupted Koop. "Then maybe you should treat her like an adult and respect her decisions, instead of lording over her like a paranoid father" said Bobbera.

"STOP IT!"

Maria, Bobbera, and Koop all looked shocked as they turned to see Koopie standing up from her seat. "Koop is right…I have to take responsibility for what happened. It was entirely my decision to join that game, and I do regret it. With everything leading up to our wedding I've just felt so trapped and helpless, and the Pianta Palace gave me a chance to be brave and…rebel I guess" Koopie said with a small tint of guilt in her voice.

"It was childish of me, and I deserved to be treated like a child" said Koopie. "I'm glad we've finally reached an understanding" said a relieved Koop as Maria and Bobber dejectedly looked at each other in defeat.

"With that said though…I don't think we can be together anymore Koop" said Koopie as fast as she could get the words out of her mouth. "What!?" yelled Koop. "I did all that because I was frustrated with the way you treated me but I didn't want to say it to your face. I just procrastinated and hid from my problems like a little schoolgirl, but now I'm taking responsibility for my feelings as well as my actions".

There was again silence as the two stared at each other in the dim room, the former lovers staring each other in the eyes, Koop speechless. "I don't love you anymore" said Koopie, finally saying what she knew for months but hopped she'd never have to say. "I'll be back for everything that is mine in the morning, but for now…I think I'll spend the rest of the night with my friends".

"I-…I-…I understand" said Koop, tears now fully running down his face. He walked over to the front door in darkness and held it open. "I'll see you in the morning" he said guiltily before slamming the door as soon as the trio had left.

Once on the street they could finally sit down to talk again. "Of all the things I've ever experienced on Halloween…that was by far the scariest" said Koopie, still visibly shaken. "Did I do the right thing?" she asked her friends.

Bobbera just patted her on the back and said "You were direct, honest, and brave, which is far more than I can say for Koop. I'm very proud of you".

Maria meanwhile pulled Koopie into a very strong hug and was bursting with happiness and relief. "Do you really think you can spend the rest of the night with us after everything that just happened?" Maria asked Koopie. "Yeah", she replied, "I should be fine. Besides, it isn't like I have a place to go back to anymore do I?" Maria finally let out another genuine laugh and helped Koopie get back on her feet.

"That is true, but you can always bunk with one of us for a while if you need to" said Maria. "That's okay; my mom should be able to find a place for me to stay somewhere" replied Koopie as the three started to search town for their other friends.

"Maria…has anything like this ever come between you and the prince? It seems like you've been together for an eternity" asked Koopie as they walked. "Ehh, sometimes. We always get through it in the end though, even that time he almost left me for a computer" replied Maria. "Wow, how do you do it?" asked Koopie as they nearly reached the main meadows.

"Because we know fire that burns and the fire that warms and illuminates are the same fire. It may hurt, but we will never let it go out".


	11. A Light in the Dark

"Wow…I'm glad I was able to see this" said Koopie as she stepped out of the pipe to the Boggly Woods. Koopie and her friends expected the woods to be pitched black this late in the night without any towns nearby, but it was anything but. The white leafs of the trees glowed like fireflies, illuminating the ebony trees against the black night and clearly showing the path. The white flowers and grass glittered against the dark earth like stars in the sky. They could almost feel the life breathe around them.

"Home sweet home" said Sir Flureon. He led the way as the group walked through the forest, all amazed at the sight before them. Eventually, they came across the Great Tree at the center of the Boggly woods. The metal door that previously blocked the entrance at the base of the tree had long been removed, and the adventurers all entered the enormous life form.

The inside of the tree was even brighter than the outside, the traditional Puni statues glowing along with the water flowing through the veins of the tree. The Punies were all there at the entrance as well, idly chatting with one another as if they were waiting for something to happen. The small, grey people, no taller than eight inches high at most, all appeared to be very excited. The orbs that dangled from their heads were lit with delight and all of them were wearing their finest dresses and suits. It didn't take them long to notice their enormous guests and former saviors, and the Punies greeted them with open arms.

"Maria, Flureon!" said a voice from within the crowd. Puniet stepped out from the crowd towards them, her unmistakable green eyes lighting up with glee. "I'm so happy to see you guys again. I see you've brought new friends as well…including a Shadow Siren!" As soon as she said those words the Punies let out a collective shriek and disappeared into cover instantly.

Maria and her friends simply laughed at this, confusing many of the Punies. "It's alright guys" said Maria, "the Sirens are cool now". Slowly but surely, the Punies reemerged into the room as Vixen surveyed the creatures before him. "They're so adorable!" Vixen said, hardly containing himself from hugging every single one of them.

"So, uh…did you guys come for the Halloween celebration? We'd love to have you" Puniet said nervously, scratching the back of her head. "We'd positively love to, but we unfortunately have another reason for being here" said Goombiel, showing them the still unconscious Kami.

"She has some minor burns and has passed out from smoke inhalation. She hasn't moved at all since it happened, and we were hoping you'd know what to do. Please…can you help her?" Mr. Mowz asked desperately.

"What's all the hubbub?" blurted a voice from nowhere. The Puni Elder stepped beside Puniet in his usual ceremonial garb and carrying his favorite cane. "Well, you see-" began Maria, but she was quickly cut off. "My word! That child is gravely ill!" yelled the Puni elder. "Yeah, we know-". "We have got to get her to the healing baths immediately!" "That is what I wanted-". "You are horrible people for not telling us as soon as you got here!" "But I-". "Why are you wasting time complaining, she needs our help!"

The Elder Puni and a few others took off towards the heart of the tree, ignoring the sighs and groans of everyone around them. Goombriel, Maria, and Vixen followed behind them with Kami, leaving the others with Puniet and the rest of the party. "He may be crazy, but the elder knows what he is doing. Your friend should be better in no time at all" said Puniet.

"That is good to hear" said Mr. Mowz, finally relaxing. "Until then though, we might as well enjoy the party I suppose. What exactly is going on anyways? I've never seen a Halloween party like this".

"Well, Mr. Mowz, the Punies do not celebrate Halloween in the strictest sense" said Sir Flureon. "It just happens to coincide with one of their holidays".

"Oh that's good, for a second I thought they were all dressed as mobsters or politicians! Now that would have made for a dull party" said Bobbera. By the now the crowd had dispersed and the Punies had started to enjoy their party once again. Puniet motioned for the giants to follow her and the five of them went deeper into the tree. They eventually came to an area with a few small rocks for them to sit on and they each took a seat, Puniet leaping onto Sir Flureon's lap and resting there.

"Thanks again for helping us out with the X-Nauts you guys" Puniet said to Koopie and Sir Flureon. "Things have been so peaceful since you guys left, and I was afraid I'd never be able to turn sixteen". "Oh my goodness, when was your birthday?" asked Koopie. "Today!" replied Puniet with a large grin on her face.

"Oh, I feel so guilty that I don't have a gift" said Koopie, a frown encroaching on her lips. "Oh, I know!" Koopie riffled through her pants pocket until she eventually found a Pianta Candy Bar, which she handed to Puniet. Puniet could barely hold onto it however; it weighed more than she did. "Thank you Koopie, but it isn't just my birthday today; it's everyone's!" said Puniet.

Koopie, Mr. Mowz and Bobbera just looked at her confused. "But, how is that possible?" asked Mr. Mowz. "You were all born on the same day?" Puniet started laughing and said "No, nothing gross like that. Today is Life Day!" Sir Flureon decided to intervene and explain the holiday in a way his friends could understand. "As opposed to celebrating a Puni's birth individually, everyone within the tribe grows a year older at the dawn of every year. Life Day, which is New Year's Day according to the Puni calendar, essentially acts as one big birthday party".

"Of course Life Day involves more than that, but that's it in a nutshell" said Puniet. "Tonight is special night for me though, because I'm finally going to be considered an adult! Punipe won't be able to make fun of me anymore; we're going to be equals".

Sir Flureon rubbed the back of Puniet's head lovingly with one of his fingers and said "Congratulations. It seems like just yesterday that you were the size of my thumb, and you could not even pronounce my name correctly. What was it you named me back then?" Puniet's face lit up bright red at Sir Flureon's words and her back went stiff. "Heh…you don't have to tell them about that" Puniet said nervously.

"Hhmmm...no matter how hard I try to recollect, the words do not come to me" said Sir Flureon as he tapped his chin. Puniet let out a sigh of relief and relaxed back into a comfortable position. "Ahh yes, I remember now; 'Mistah Flooey'" said Sir Flureon.

Sir Flureon's friends immediately burst out laughing, releasing a good deal of built up stress. Puniet blushed yet again and stuttered out "Well, I was a stupid little kid back then. I've grown up now!" "Well, you will forever be that child to me my friend" said Sir Flureon. Puniet crossed her arms in contempt and refused to face Sir Flureon for a few moments. Sir Flureon frowned at this, but he knew exactly what to do.

"Wha-? Stop that it tickles!" said Puniet as Sir Flureon attacked her ribs with one of his fingers. He'd known her weak spots for years now, and was not afraid to exploit them. "All right, all right; you win. You know I can't stay mad at you, you devil".

Puniet jumped down from her seat and onto the floor, still glowing from her tickle torture. "Make yourselves at home guys. I've got a special ceremony to get to, so I won't be able to chaperone you around anymore. You should be fine as long as you don't eat anyone though!" said Puniet to the group before looking directly at Sir Flureon. "We also have some of that 'White Leaf' tea you love so much Flureon. I could get someone to bring you some if you want" said Puniet.

"I would be delighted" said Sir Flureon. Soon the giants became just another part of the party, and the rest of the night appeared as though it would be very bright indeed.


End file.
